Years after the COVID-19 pandemic tested the resilience of health care workers, hospitals and health systems in the United States are still navigating workforce challenges.
Health care leaders are increasingly turning to technology to help alleviate these challenges, according to new research from the Center for Connected Medicine (CCM) at UPMC and KLAS Research.
More than 80% of health system executives interviewed for the research said technology was "very important" or "important" in addressing workforce challenges; and nearly 90% said they were "very likely" or "likely" to invest in new workforce technology in the next one to two years.
The research findings, based on a survey of more than two dozen health system leaders, can be found in the newly published CCM report, "Transforming Health Care Workforce Management: How Technology Can Address Workforce Challenges at Health Systems."
"This research underscores the ongoing difficulty many health systems continue to experience when it comes to recruiting, retaining and optimizing their clinical workforce," said Mary Beth Navarra-Sirio, vice president of market development for UPMC Enterprises. "As the innovation, commercialization and venture capital arm of UPMC, we are actively pursuing innovative technology solutions that can help our health system leaders attract world class talent and provide them with technology that supports their clinical practice, providing more time for direct patient care."
One such solution is an education platform from ThriveAP, a UPMC Enterprises portfolio company, that is used at UPMC to more quickly transition new advanced practitioners into clinical practice by providing education and support through mentorship, comprehensive curriculum and community interaction.
Solutions such as ThriveAP can help health systems optimize their clinical staff — an area where nearly three-quarters of survey respondents said they see technology as beneficial. Two-thirds said technology is important for recruiting workers.
KLAS Research conducted the research in partnership with the CCM in late 2024 and conducted interviews with 27 executives and other leaders from U.S. hospitals and health systems on current organizational priorities, impactful technology solutions and future plans for addressing recruitment, retention and optimization of clinical staff.
Download the report from the UPMC Enterprises website.
